The "TV Watching Just For The Fun Of It" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished my evening meal and had settled in my favorite lounge chair, anxiously awaiting my favorite two television shows of the day; Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.  On one channel The Wheel comes first while on the other channel Jeopardy comes first.  Makes for some extra fun if I watch on one channel and then turn it to the other channel and watch it once again. I get to impress everyone, since I know the puzzle or questions.  Works only once though!  So, use this technique when you are really trying to impress someone.  I have written about Jeopardy in the past, but never wrote about Wheel of Fortune.  

The very first Wheel of Fortune was not what we are accustomed to viewing today.  In October of 1952 Wheel of Fortune appeared for the first time on TV.  To be eligible for the show you had to have done a good deed; the good-deed doers and the people they had helped appeared on the show.  A wheel was spun with cash amounts of between $30 an $1,000 on it.  Whatever the wheel landed on was the amount to be played for during that show.  There was also a number on the wheel telling how many questions had to be answered correctly for the money.  The beneficiary received a gold watch for their appearance.  Didn't last long since it was too hard to understand.  Then in 1975 a show called "Shopper's Bazaar" began.  The object was to spin a wheel to win money to spend on great prizes.  Then another version of Wheel of Fortune began with Chuck Woolery as host and Susan Stafford as the letter turner.  After a contract dispute, Chuck Woolery left and Pat Sajak was hired to replace him.  In December of 1982, Susan Stafford departed and a few interim letter changers followed, until Vanna White eventually took over.  Pat has always hosted the syndicated version of the show which started in 1983, and hosted the network daytime version until January 17, 1989 when he turned the NBC daytime version of the show over to Rolf Bernirschke.  Are you lost yet?  On July 17, 1989, the daytime version moved to CBS with Bob Goen hosting.  Charlie O'Donnell was the announcer until 1982.  After that, Jack Clark became the announcer until he died in 1982.  Charlie O'Donnell returned and has been the announcer ever since.  Current show host, Pat Sajak was a DJ for the Armed Forces from 1968 to 1972, during the Vietnam War.  He was also a weatherman during the 1970s and 1980s.  Then in 1981 he became host of Wheel of fortune.  

Pat Sajak, host of "Wheel of Fortune."

Now, you may have known all this already, but did you know that he hosted a late-night talk show in the early 1990s?  Maybe not, since it was a disaster.  As far as Vanna White goes, she was a contestant on "The Price Is Right."  Johnny Olsen once said, "Vanna White...come on down!"  Never made it out of contestant row, but in 1987 "Vannamania" swept the country, when she appeared on Newsweek, starred in the made-for-TV movie "Goddess of Love," and wrote a best seller, her autobiography.  In 1994 she appeared in "Naked Gun 33 1/2 - The Final Insult."  In

Vanna White, letter toucher extraordinaire.

1992 she was given credit as the world's most frequent clapper, since she claps her hands more than 140,000 times a season.  That's 720 claps every show.  As far as "Wheel of Fortune", the big wheel weights 2,400 pounds and has 200 lights that can make two million different colors. The noise of the wheel comes while being spun and 73 stainless steel pins hit the three rubber "flippers," one in front of each contestant.  There is only one wheel and one puzzle board, so it makes it tough when the show changes locations, which it does from time to time.  During travel, the show transports about 1 million pounds of equipment, Vanna and Pat not included.  Some of you may remember when Pat became ill this past November and Vanna had to take over.  I don't know about you...but I was really glad when he returned!  If you have never watched the show, give it a try sometime.  You may enjoy it and tune in many more times.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "I Could See It Coming!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Saturday, November 23 and the daily edition of the LNP had it on the top left of page A2.  Headline read "Rutter returns for 'Greatest Show.'  The "Rutter" in this headline would be a former student at the school where I taught for 34 years, Manheim Township High School in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Brad had his locker right outside my classroom when he was a student at MTHS and I got to see him on a daily basis.  He was a member of the "Quiz Bowl" team which was sponsored by a good friend and fellow teacher, Anne Clouser.  Her entire team of students loved her and she in turn returned that love, but as tough love which led her team to yearly wins in the county. Brad graduated from Manheim Township in 1995 and, as the newspaper article proclaimed, dazzled the "Jeopardy!" world in 2000 winning five straight nights of competition.  

Brad Rutter when he returned to Lancaster to help with
a benefit to raise money for the Manheim Twp. Public Library.

For those of you who may not know what Jeopardy! is, it is a classic game show...with a twist.  The answers are given first, and the contestants must supply the questions.  And, the answers aren't easy...at least for me.  At the time in history when Brad competed, you could only win five times before you were "retired" from the show.  Perhaps with the rules of today's show, he could have gone on forever, but we will never know.  After winning about $55,000 he was retired.  Well, he is going to compete in "The Greatest of All Time" competition that will pit Brad against Ken Jennings, who won 74 straight nights and recent champion James James Holzhauer who seemed to know everything about everything.  

Alex Trebeck, host of "Jeopardy!"

Brad won an all-time top amount of $4.7 million which includes his many "champion" tourna- ments he has returned to compete in over the years.  Brad has never been defeated by a human, but did lose, along with Jennings, to the IBM computer "Watson."  Ken Jennings is no slouch either, winning a total of $3.5 million during his 74 games as well as other tournaments on the show.  

Brad competing against the Quiz Bowl Team from the
Manheim Township High School at the MT Library.

As far as James goes, well he was very impressive during his time on the show.  He earned $2.7 million, surprising audiences with his high stakes betting on the daily doubles which are part of the daily games.  Host Alex Trebek will do the honors once again as the host of the show that will see the three highest all-time winners battle it out.   Will being away from the show for some time hurt or help Brad?  We will find out beginning on Tuesday, January 7 at 8:00 p.m. when the champs battle it out.  The game continues night after night until one contestant wins three matches and claims the $1 million prize.  The two others will each get $250,000.  Not bad for having a mind like a human computer.  Go Brad, Go!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Brad Is Still Champ In My Book" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Watching "Jeopardy" on television.  For those who live outside the United States or don't watch American television, Jeopardy is an American television quiz game show that was created in the mid-1960s by Merv Griffin.  The show features a quiz competition in which contestants are presented with general knowledge clues in the form of an answer, and they must come up with a question as their response.  The master of ceremonies for the show is a fellow named Alex Trebek who became host of the show in 1984.  It was back in May of this year that he announced to his TV viewers that he is fighting stage 4 pancreatic cancer, but will continue to be Master of Ceremonies for the show during his treatment.  Tough for a younger person, but going to be very tough for Alex who is 78 years old.  

Host Alex Trebek and James Holzhauer

My story today tells of the recent success of contestant James Holzhauer who won an extra- orbitant amount of money on the show during his reign as champion.  He won 33 times, responded correctly with over 1,100 questions and won $2,464,216.  After the first few shows which featured James, I told my wife he must be cheating.  I told her to watch his face and when he buzzes in, it seems as if he is listening to someone through a device in his ear.  She told me I was nuts and he was just smart!  That he was!!  He knew so much about so much that it took forever to beat him.  

This shows Brad when he won the Battle of the Decades

My reason for being so upset that he continued to win night after night was the fact that I feared he would surpass Brad Rutter's all-time Jeopardy winnings of $4,688,436.  I had Brad as a student at Manheim Township High School where he was a member of the class of 1995.  While at the school he was on the Quiz Bowl Team which took second place at the 1994 Texaco Star National Academic Championship.  He is one of only 19 people to have been named to the National Academic Championship Hall fo Fame.  

A few years ago Brad stopped at the Manheim Township Library and
participated in a contest again the current Quiz Bowl team.  The
 team allegedly beat Brad in the contest!  Brad donates annually to the
library so it can help younger members of the library gain knowledge. 

I must admit that I did enjoy watching James as be totally annihilated the majority of the contestants during his 33 night run.  But, along came a mild-mannered genius with the name of Emma Boettcher who used James' strategies in playing the game and beat him.  He gave her a high five when it was over, which was classy of him.  Now, I'm waiting for the show's Tournament Of Champions which Brad has won in the past.  Actually, Brad never lost a game of Jeopardy to a human opponent.  He did lose to a computer known as Watson, but never to a human.  When he played the TV game you were only allowed to win so many shows and then you had to retire from the show.  Now, contestants can stay on as long as they continue winning.  Often wonder how long Brad might have continued on the show if they didn't have that rule at the time.   The Tournament Of Champions will draw many viewers this year I'm sure.  And, I will be one of them.  And, I'm pulling for Brad.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "A Framing Masterpiece...Or...A Masterpiece Framed?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Loading a truck with the largest and probably the heaviest framing job I have every helped to do at Grebinger Gallery in Neffsville, Pennsylvania.  Over the lifetime of this blog I have posted stories and photographs of items I have matted and framed at the gallery.  

One of my favorites that I did a few years ago.  All I had to
do to complete the job was put it in a frame. Click to enlarge.

Everything from athletic jerseys and equipment to high school and college diplomas and tassels to wedding memories to baby mementos.  I have seen them all during the 20 years I have been working at the gallery which is owned and operated by one of my former high school students, Keith.  But, what Keith and I have just completed was something very different.  A local attorney designed a game very similar to the game "Monopoly".  It had playing pieces, money in different denominations, cards with flags of many nations, worker cards for different occupations, passport spaces, arrested cards, houses and hotels and a playing board that featured a globe with countries around it.  The game was played by rolling dice, but I am at a loss as to the rules of the game.  

Another fun job.  Marine Corps memories to cherish.

Didn't matter that I knew the game as long as I knew where to locate everything on the framing job we did.  Keith and the customer designed where everything should go and it happened to be larger than the largest piece of mattboard that can be purchased.  An oversized piece of foamboard was purchased and cut square.  On top of that was glued and sewed a layer of black cloth.  Four corner mats were cut to match and had to be glued on top of the cloth on the four corners of the job.  These corner mats featured holes that held game cards as well as the flag cards.  They were raised using strips of black mat board to accommodate the tallest playing piece in the game.  

Very challenging since all medals had to be glued and
ribbons sewn in place and had to look the same.

In the center of the job was glued the playing board.  When everything was in place, the playing pieces, money, playing cards, game pieces, dice and brass plate telling about the board were all glued in place.  The glue was a special glue we use to glue frames together.  Much like Elmer's, but black in color.  The playing pieces were pushed into the glue, raised and then placed on the board in a position that was provided by the designer of the game.  When all glue had dried we placed a piece of oversized plexiglas on top and placed the frame on top of that.  We fastened the job from underneath with framer's metal wedges and added an extra layer of foamboard to the back.  A dust cover and hanging bar finished the job.  The customer just loved the job.  It was fun to work on the job and at times challenging to try to figure how to hold all the pieces in place.  Only time will tell how well the glue will hold the playing pieces in place.  I have included photos of most operations to show you the amount of work needed to complete the job. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The oversized board had been cut and the cloth glued and stitched in place.

These are the playing pieces, dice, houses and hotels.

Keith cut four corner sections that held playing cards and passports.  I had to fasten each in place with a special framer's tape.

Each piece was turned over and layers of form board were added to raise the section high enough to accommodate the tallest playing piece.  I used white where it wouldn't be seen and black where it would.

Each corner mat was glued in placed.  We have the frame on to to make sure all pieces will fit properly.  In the top right of this photo you can see we used weight to hold the piece down while the glue dried.

The playing board was glued in place and a box of glass was placed on top to hold it down while the glue dried.

The customer came and helped place the playing pieces where he wanted them.  The final result is to look as if four people are playing the game with money and a playing piece for each player. 

Glue was placed on smaller pieces of black foam and then placed back in position.  The money was glued in place with one edge under the board as it would be if you were playing the game and other pieces were glued with varying amounts of foam board so the game illustrated a 3D look to it.

I had to glue the houses and playing pieces in place without dropping any glue on the fabric.  I must admit it was stressful, but I did a perfect job of positioning without any accidents.

This is the center of the playing board.  I would love to tell you what everything means, but I do not know.

Even the die look Russian.

These are some of the playing cards which I put in place in  layers.

Another look of one side of the board.

The FINAL RESULT! One of the most detailed jobs I ever did at the gallery.

The "Don't Call Between 7:00 & 8:00 P.M. - Part II!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Kind of day that after my evening meal I need to stretch our my legs and relax in my lounge chair.  Oh yeah...I also need to watch "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy" my two favorite evening quiz shows.  In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that happens from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, Monday through Friday.  I do enjoy trying to outwit the contestants on "Wheel of Fortune" and guessing the puzzles before they can, but I must admit that I also enjoy doing battle with the contestants on "Jeopardy."  

Brad Rutter when he won the Battle of the Decades.

You may remember that the all-time record for most consecutive wins was Ken Jennings with 74, but that's because when Brad Rutter was a contestant, there was a limit on how many games you could win before you were considered a retired champion.  Actually, Brad Rutter holds the record for most cash won on the show with a mind-boggling $3,455,102.  This is the same Brad Rutter that I once had as a student at Manheim Township High School.  

A few years ago Brad visited the Manheim Township Public
Library to compete against the High School "Quiz Bowl" team.

Actually took his photo as a member of the "Quiz Bowl" a few years for the school yearbook.  The same Brad Rutter that really didn't apply himself in high school as he should have and ended up dropping out of Johns Hopkins University and working at a record store in Lancaster before making it big on "Jeopardy."  After his record breaking streak on the show he constantly made donations to his high school in honor of his high school "Quiz Bowl" coach and my friend Anne Clouser.  He still donates to our township public library and makes appearances at the library for Quiz Bowl Challenges.  But, the main reason I enjoy the show is the challenge it presents every evening.  The original daytime version began on March 30, 1964 on NBC with Art Fleming as the host and Don Pardo as the announcer.  When the show became syndicated and moved to evening TV it was hosted by Alex Trebek with Johnny Gilbert as announcer.  

Alex Trebek on the set of "Jeopardy."

The show has now won 33 Daytime Emmy Awards and the only post-1960 game show to be honored with the Peabody Award.  The worldwide show has now aired over 7,000 episodes.  A few bits of information you may find interesting are:  (1) Alex Trebek's real name is Giorgi Suka-Alex Trebek.  His mother is French-Canadian and his father is Ukranian,  (2) In his spare time he raises thoroughbred racehorses on his 700-acre ranch,  (3) About 25 million of us watch the show every week, (4) As soon as Alex has finished reading the answer, an employee flips a switch that allows the contestants to buzz in...they are called "the button enabler" and contestants can't buzz in until the switch is thrown, (5) Alex changes his suit five times a day, since he films five episodes daily and feels he should wear a fresh suit for each episode, (6) The theme song, "Think" was written by Merv Griffin as a lullaby for his grandson, (7) Only .04% of people who apply for the show ever make it onto TV (that explains why you have never seen LDub win on Jeopardy), (8) Alex actually watches every single episode of the show, since he loves to see himself on TV, (9) If you would ever have the chance to appear on the show, you are not allowed to ever appear on "Wheel Of Foutune", (10)  There is a team of 9 writers and 5 researchers who come up with all the questions, (11) And finally, Alex says he could kick the crap out of any player that ever was on the show.  So, how can you get on the show?  You can call the show's office in New York for an appointment and to determine eligibility.  Auditions consist of 10-30 individuals where you take a written test and mock games.  If they like you they will call you within 6 weeks.  There is also a Winnebago RV that travels around the USA and Canada where you can also tryout for the show.  As for me, I once saw the Winnebago RV with "Wheel of Fortune" on the side and drove right past it, since I knew I could never be on "Jeopardyn" had I made it on "The Wheel".  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Don't Call Between 7:00 & 8:00 P.M. - Part I!" Story

The Board on "Wheel of Fortune".

It was an ordinary day.  Just settled down in my leather lounge chair with a big dish of ice cream anxiously awaiting "Wheel Of Fortune" to begin.  This is the first of my favorite quiz shows that air in Lancaster, Pennsylvania from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM on CBS.  Instantly, as the clock on my DVR hits 7:00 PM, there comes Vanna White and Pat Sajak from behind whatever curtain or prop they may have that evening.  

Chuck and Susan

But, you know, the show wasn't always the same as we know it today.  When it first started in October of 1952, when I was an 8 year old, it lasted only a year.  To be eligible for the show you had to have done a good dead.  Those who had done a good deed as well as those who had been helped by that deed both appeared on the show.  A wheel was spun with cash amounts on the wheel between $30 and $1,000.  When the wheel stopped, the amount next to the pointer was the amount that could be won.  Also displayed on the wheel was the number of questions that had to be answered to win the money.  I guess they had a hard time finding good Samaritans, since the game ended in a year.  Then in 1975 "Wheel of Fotune" turned up again, but then was known as "Shopper's Bazaar."  

Early photo of Pat and Vanna.

After one episode it again became "Wheel of Fortune."  The object was to spin a wheel to win money that you could spend on prizes.  The original host was Chuck Woolery and the original letter turner was Susan Stafford.  When a contract dispute between the network and Chuck occurred, Pat entered.  Susan was also replaced, but not before a few other turners were tried.  They just didn't have the Vanna wave and clap.  Pat Sajak has always hosted the syndicated version which began in 1983 and also hosted the network daytime version until 1989 when he turned that show over to ex-football player Rolf Benirschke.  As far as Pat, he as a disc jockey for the Armed Forces Radio Newwork during the Vietnam War and then became a weatherman for a TV station in Los Angeles.  

Pat Sajak

In 1981 he took the job with "Wheel of Fortune."  Now, Vanna is another story.  She was at one time a contestant on "The Price is Right", but didn't make it out of contestant's row.  In 1987 "Vannamania" swept the country when Vanna appeared on Newsweek, starred in TV's Goddess of Love and wrote Vanna Speaks, her best-seller autobiography.  She also appeared in Naked Gun 33 1/2 - The Final Insult.  In 1992 she was recognized as the world's most frequent clapper when she clapped 140,000 times that season.  She now averages 720 claps an episode.  

Vanna White

If you watch the show daily, you may be interested to know that the wheel weighs 2,400 pounds, has 200 lights that can make two million colors and the noise it makes comes from 73 stainless steel pins hitting three rubber flippers.  There is only one wheel and one puzzle board which also is huge so when they travel on the road to different locations they carry about 1 million pounds of equipment.  And, thanks to you and me and all other wheel watchers, the show will continue for years.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Another Great Birthday Gift From My Brother" Story

A 1796 Bible that was a gift from my brother Steve.

It was an ordinary day.  And then my brother handed me my birthday present.  As soon as I looked at it I knew it was going to be one of the most interesting presents I have received in quite a while.  My brother Steve is a "Picker" or scavenger if I must pin a name on him.  Loves to go to auctions and sales where he will buy boxes of old goods that are no longer wanted by their owners.  Some boxes at auction houses yield buried treasures that had long been forgotten by their owners and whose owners want a few dollars for unwanted items rather than throw the boxes in the trash.  

My latest gift, a board game titled "All About Lancaster."

A year or so ago Steve gave me a plastic bag that had an old Bible in it that proved to be a real find.  It had been printed in the city of Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania in 1796 at the Bailey and Dickson print shop in downtown Lancaster.  The plastic bag which contained the Bible was part of a box of items he had bid on and won at the Green Dragon Farmer's Market in Ephrata, PA.  

The 6-piece cardboard playing board showing Lancaster, PA

Well, my new gift is a table game that was in its original box with two rubberbands on it to hold it together.  Printed in 1980 and carried the name "All About Lancaster."  The board game consisted of six cardboard pieces that when placed together revealed a map of the city of Lancaster with streets and businesses that existed in the late 1970s to early 1980s.  As I looked more closely I found Watt & Shand Department Store, Darmstaetters Camera Store, Oblender's Furniture Store, Shenk Bros. and a few other businesses that no longer exist.  

Game pieces and playing parts can be seen here.  Now,
can't wait for a visit with friends of family to get a chance
to play my new game.

Also saw Saint Joseph Hospital that has now changed hands twice since this game was produced.  The directions to the game list the object, setting up the game, setting up play, playing the game plus a few other rules needed to have a good time.  Just had to check on eBay to see if there were any more game boards such as the one I had just received and sure enough, there was one with a bid of $22.49 with 18 hours before the item was closed to bidding.  Pretty neat gift to go with the bobblehead of Robert Fulton and the bobblehead of Thadeus Stevens and the miniature 16-wheeler tractor trailer with "Rocky Springs Carousel" painted on the side of it.  Presents that he had found during "Picker" excursions around Lancaster County.  Don't you wish that you had a brother as I do who gives presents that are truly treasures!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.